


Ale and bellow-bread

by undeadstoryteller



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: F/M, Microfic, Stonegrot Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:20:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26303326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undeadstoryteller/pseuds/undeadstoryteller
Summary: For Stonegrot Week (Year 2): Day 6 -- Podling villageThe village brings a sense of normalcy for Rian and Deet, as they run an errand for the Resistance
Relationships: Deet/Rian (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	Ale and bellow-bread

Walking into a Podling village was like walking back in time, to before the Resistance and the Garthim attacks that followed.

Deet had always wanted to visit one. It was bittersweet -- she missed Hup and still felt guilty that he'd been left at the Circle of the Suns. But he was resilient. She hadn't given up hope that she'd see him again. 

She had to remind herself that a Podling village was probably the last place she'd find him.

Rian just needed a few things. Herbal tinctures and botanical paste and maybe some nettil if it was in season. 

"How do you know about these things?" she asked as he led her into the village square, where Podling childlings played and a group of musicians played music and sang.

"We used them in the Guard," he said. "If you need to stay awake or fall asleep or tend to sore feet, Podlings have a recipe for it."

They came to a merchant with a table spread with dried herbs and bottles and bowls. Deet held onto Rian's arm, taking everything in. She looked above the merchant's head to see several childlings leaning out of the round windows of the pod dwelling behind him. She waved at them and looked around the square. She'd forgotten what a lively, living village felt like.

She watched as Rian rather clumsily spoke to the merchant in broken Podling. The merchant was unfazed, clearly accustomed to Gelfling customers. He gathered up everything Rian asked for, plus another bottle he held out to him while pointing at Deet.

Rian looked from the merchant to Deet and back again. "I don't… what is it?"

The merchant spoke quickly in Podling, still gesturing at Deet. He paused and added, in the Gelfling language, "For her. No fee."

"What does it do?" Rian asked.

"For her," the merchant said slowly. "No fee."

"Well, no, I'm going to give you something for it," Rian said, resigned to the fact that the merchant wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Deet looked around again, taking in every detail. It was simple, yet incredibly beautiful, she thought. There was music and laughter and food and drink. Most were farmers, like her own family, something she'd never realized from knowing Hup.

Rian turned to her, his transaction finished, with a private look of exasperation.

"That's done," he said. "Let's get back."

"Can't we go to the tavern?" she asked.

He looked over at the familiar building, practically quaking with revelry even though the suns were just starting to set. He much preferred the idea of going back to the camp at Stone-in-the-Wood and spending the evening alone with her. 

"We can get some ales and bellow-bread," she said, putting her arms around his neck as she faced him.

He smiled at her. Like the Podling merchant, he knew she wasn't going to take no for an answer. 

"Anything you want."

The night, after all, was young.


End file.
